Six Month Portraits

We took Sienna to have her six month portraits today at Sears. We are hoping to get some family ones taken around xmas or at least for her one year shots... Here are my favorites, and really how is it possible to pick only some to buy and not all of them?

I really like how they came out...

And apparantly, Sienna's explosive-poop-on-white-sheet-background incident (at her 6 week portraits) is well known at the Sears Portrait Studio... We brought it up and the photographer (a different one) was all "Oh, yes I remember hearing about that." Surprisingly, no other babies have made poopy messes during photo sessions... they just have a few peeing-their-pants toddler stories...

SIX months old!

Sienna is HALF a year old!!! I feel such a sense of pride in my little kiddo, how much she has grown and learned... and how our family has blossomed and become what it is today. And this leads to thinking of the future and how happy I am to be a mommy, how grateful I am for my healthy, beautiful, goofy girl and loving husband... I will try not to be too sentimental, but these first 6 months of motherhood have of course been so life changing and now I can't imagine it any other way. This is my life, our life...

According to our measurements, Sienna is 28 1/2 inches long and 17.9 pounds! She is now in size 3 diapers, and wears mostly 6-9 or 6-12 months clothes. She has perfected her army crawl, sits on her own for extended periods of time, and loves playing with her leap frog learning/music table. She loves her dogs more than ever, sometimes will just watch them and start laughing hysterically. And her laugh has got to be the cutest thing ever! She is still very social and loves to talk... She watches Sesame Street every morning with Daddy! She has her 2 bottom teeth and is eating more stuff... I have been making just about all of it... most recently butternut squash from Lolly's garden! Her hair is getting much thicker and is really lightening up.

She has her first runny/stuffy nose this week, but has no other symptoms and it's getting better...

She has been doing well with formula... today was my last day an antibiotics so I am going to try to nurse in the morning. I have to have surgery to remove the cyst, and will plan to have it in the next couple weeks... which will be interesting with it being harvest, but will force me to have a day or two off (somehow?)

Being a working mom still has its challenges, especially now working 7 days a week... but nothing compares to the look and smile on her face when I walk in the door. She usually will not let me out of her sight for the majority of the night... And I cherish each moment with her in our evenings together.

I love you Sienna!

Rodeo Time!

Last Saturday, we took our little cowgirl to her first rodeo! It was also my first time going to the Creston Rodeo. Besides being pretty darn hot, we had tons of fun. We watched some roping events, and saw lots of horses! Sienna also rode on a horse for the first time with Aunt Meagan and her horse River. She LOVED being up high, walking around, petting and pulling the horse's mane!










Other events of the weekend included me working both days and shopping lots on Sunday. Our old desktop computer totally died, so we bought a new laptop which is so nice! maybe i will keep up with this blog better! We also bought someone's Halloween costume which is very cute, and fitting for our munchkin! Stay tuned...

Catching up!

Just wanted to post some assorted pictures over the last few weeks...

Rough Times

I haven't written in awhile, been a bit out of commission... It's been a rough couple weeks! It started a couple weeks ago with me getting a nasty stomach flu, lots of throwing up and nausea, but since its harvest, I had to be at work! Luckily I left early a couple days, but the nausea continued for a few days... awful!

Then last week I started having intense pain in my tailbone region, I didn't do anything to injure it, but thought it could be from sitting a lot on wood stools over labor day weekend? It was strange but very intense pain! I couldn't sit down, lie down, everything hurt! The first trip to urgent care fri night, the dr just assumed it was a bruised tailbone, gave me vicodin and aleve, told me to ice it and try and rest... its a long healing process. The pain got worse and worse, even while taking a lot of vicodin... I went back to urgent care Sunday and then found out its a cyst. So its just about the worse place ever for something like this (and embarassing!) And I have been working through this all, yes being hopped up on prescription pain meds and sitting on my inflatable donut! No room for shame here! So the dr put me on strong antibiotics and darvocet (vicodin=nausea)... I am feeling much better today, didn't have to take any prescription pain meds. I have an appointment next week with a surgeon, I hope it doesn't require surgery but I also don't want it to keep coming back!

The worst part of all of this is I can't breastfeed while taking these antibiotics (10 days!). I wanted to cry hearing this! I honestly was going to try introducing formula this week, but just one bottle a day since its been hard to pump at work being so busy and tough to keep up the supply (and stressful!) I figured I could nurse in the mornings and nights, and pump once at work... But to have to quit cold turkey is so tough! I have a few servings of breastmilk frozen, but not much... Sienna has taken to formula very well which makes it a tiny bit easier. But its really really hard and emotional. Nursing was such a part of our daily routine together, something just us two could share in... the first thing we did in the morning, when I got home and before she went to bed. I looked forward to weekends (pre-harvest) when I could nurse her all day... I just wasn't ready to stop yet... I am grateful we did have 5 1/2 months of exclusive breastmilk, and that it was easy for us both... I am trying to keep up some pumping over these 10 days and we will see if we can get back to nursing then...

So trying times in the Molina household. Russell has been so great and helpful, considering I couldn't move for a few days and was also drugged out of my mind! Sienna had some fussy moments (teething) so he had 2 crying babies to deal with...

On a happier note, we had a fabulous Labor Day weekend! Aunt Sara and Uncle Mark came up, as well as Kiwi and Kristy. We borrowed Uncle Tommy's trailer and headed out to the Brown's ranch Sat afternoon. I worked Sat and Sun but just a few hours and was able to take Monday off! The weekend was lots of fun, the boys enjoyed the annual dove hunt... and we had fun visiting and just kicking back... Sienna had fun with her buddy/boyfriend Eric who is 4 months older...

Onto Sienna news... She is working on her 2nd tooth! It hasn't quite popped through her gums, but you can see it! And her first one is clearly visible now...

She now sits up unsupported for a good amount of time! She also does a full army crawl forward a couple feet or so, and Daddy has seen her get up on all fours and move backward! She usually scoots around by raising her butt high in the air (downward dog) then pushes forward off of her feet (but her head is still on the ground)... that or rolling over gets her where she wants to be...

She has been loving all kinds of foods... Oatmeal, green beans, sweet potatoes, avocado and most recently acorn squash from lolly's garden! She is also attempting to learn how to use a sippy cup, but she mostly chews on it or bangs it on her high chair.

She is SO interested in everything around her... reaches out to grab anything she can! Operation baby proof will soon be carried out. And she is just so fun to interact with, she loves talking, reading stories, singing, and is generally such a happy baby! We are so blessed!

Harvest is pretty much in full swing, but have a ways to go till the peak and quite a way till the end. Won't have a day off until November! And this is going to be a big year, much bigger than last year. Grapes, grapes, and more grapes!

Ok I haven't uploaded any pictures, or really taken many lately... I will quit the slacking and post some soon. She is getting just cuter by the day and growing so much!

A big week! 5 months old, TOOTH!

What a week!

It started with us buying a car last Sunday! Yay!! We have been needing a bigger family car, one that the stroller won't quite fill the whole trunk, and where Sienna's infant seat isn't touching the front seat. The Corolla isn't ideal for road trips with the amount of stuff I pack (overly prepared- you never know you might need it, right?) For the first two roadtrips, with all the gear, we were squished in so tight, it was getting ridiculous, and Russell's 1968 Ranchero isn't exactly baby friendly. So as nice as it has been not having a car payment for the last few months, it was time to car shop!

And just as we do all of the big decisions in our life- we bought the first one we saw! This is at least after weeks of researching and overthinking details, so when we see the right one, we just know it. We are proud owners of a 2005 Chevy Equinox! It is spacious inside, but not a huge SUV... I can still manuever and park it just fine and the gas mileage is great! Its in such perfect condition, low miles, leather, all wheel drive, moonroof, heated seats, and everyone thinks its brand new! So we are so extremely pleased with our purchase!



The next big news of the week was Russell started school on Monday! Mon and Wed he has an English class from 7-8:50 (big bummer to him, and its taught like they are 5th graders...) So its a full Daddy and Sienna day, and full family afternoon and dinner... Tues and Thurs he has Engineering Drawing (CAD) from 2-4:50 then Welding 1 from 5:30-8:30. Sienna goes to Lolly's house for the afternoon until I get off work. I think the schedule will work out great! And Russell loves the welding class, will really learn a lot and looks forward to the class! The CAD class will be very valuable learning also!

Harvest has officially started! It's not too intense yet, but I really enjoyed this weekend because it may easily be my last one until November! We had our first grape trucks come through, a few maturity samples (from vineyards to see if its time to pick) and its getting busier! I have 2 seasonal employees starting tomorrow and 2 the following week, so busy times are ahead of me!! I have been dreading it a bit honestly, but have accepted it, its my job and I enjoy it, so Bring it On!! (I just really will miss my baby girl...)

On to Sienna news! She is 5 months old today!!! And she has her first tooth! Russell felt it barely poking through her bottom gums this afternoon. And she was quite a fussy little thing! I was so excited when I first saw it, was such a proud mommy! I just can't believe she is old enough for teeth! My goodness! She seems to be sleeping well now. The last few days she has been a bit fussier than normal, and is quite a chew monster, and she woke up last night screaming a couple times which is not like her at all... I hope she feels better tomorrow and it comes through easily...

She finally had her 4 month dr appointment on Friday. Dr Macias was impressed with her progress and demeanor. Everyone tells us she is so alert and love interacting with her. Her official weigh-in is 16 pounds, 6 ounces (80%) and 26.5 inches (90%). Our last measurements were higher, so we could be off but I also think her leg was bent when the lady marked it... Either way, she is a tall girl! I can't remember her head size but its 95%! Dr. Macias assured us its all her intelligence! She also had to get her next round of shots :( One oral vaccine, and 2 shots in each leg. She took the oral one MUCH better than last time when she turned purple and screamed and choked... She of course was not a happy camper with the pokes, but it wasn't too bad and she calmed down quickly after looking the nurse right in the eyes and yelling at her! She was sleepy most of the day but all in all was in a ok mood.

Now I am just thinking about my poor baby! Shots and cutting her first tooth in 3 days :( What a tough cookie she is! And tough moments to witness as a mommy!

Ooops.. i haven't uploaded any new pictures of my teething munchkin...

Ok next post... more pictures of our 5 month old and updates on what else she has been up to, and all about the big family reunion!!

Grandma's Kegger!

Yep, you read that right!

Last Saturday was the annual "Grandma's Kegger" for Russell's grandma's birthday.

Sienna wore a party dress:

This year Grandma turned the big 8-0! So it was even more of an extraordinary celebration of such a wonderful woman! There were 92 people there according to Lolly's count! Since this amazing lady (who you would think is 20 years younger by the way) has such an adventurous spirit, it was essential to surprise her with something grand- so what else but Harleys!! What a fabulous idea it was and it was orchestrated perfectly (thanks to Lolly!) She didn't see it coming! A procession of 12 Harleys (friends, coworkers, and friends of friends) cruised down the driveway and circled around. The look of pure surprise on Grandma'a face was priceless!

Russell's cousin Meagan and her husband Matt crafted up the perfect denim vest for her, complete with leather patches- a few were "Boss Lady", "Sanchez Cycles", "51712" (5 kids, 17 grandkids, 12 great grandkids)....

So then Grandma went for a ride! It was so much fun to see this all! No one could stop smiling, such a remarkable experience!

Happy 80th Grandma! We are all so lucky to have you in our lives!!

Sienna had a great time seeing everyone especially the older kids, and swam in the pool with Daddy. It was so nice to visit with lots of family and the BBQ was delicious as always!